Drying stove



Feb. 26, 1952 J. A. JOHNSON DRYING STOVE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1947 INVE/V TOfi domv H. doHNJo/V BY I Feb. 26, 1952 J. A. JOHNSON DRYING STOVE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1947 v IN VE/V r08 m zyzh HEM/7' doH/v H, JOHA/50A/ jaumzz Feb. 26, 1952 J. A. JOHNSON DRYING STOVE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 5, 1947 M 5 R M W o N d E V H W N w J I I 1 I I w :i l i: 4 n w u h M o u e 0 w n O O O O 1 t 1 11 E M m m M o o Q o n u o O m 0/ w mnn .H Hh hw -w h H WHUHWW RI -H HHHMH 11111 n H.

Feb. 26, 1952 J JQHNSON 2,587,479

DRYING STOVE Filed Sept. 5, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F/GS.

/o 1 y 1 1;} raw/9 $12; :1} H i? mum/rm domv ,9. dn/m/so/v Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED *lTfiS 'ATE-NT OFFICE Application September 5, 19.47, Serial-No. 772,240 in Great Britain September 12, 1946 1 Claim.

Thisinvention relates to drying stoves and more particularly to sup-ports or carriers for goods in the stoves. The invention is concerned primarily with potters mangles for drying flat clay-ware such as plates or saucers, which are carried by supports in the nature of swinging trays or shelves on a moving conveyor.

The object of the invention is to shield the thin vulnerable edge of the plaster mould from the warm air currents during its travel through the stove. A further object is to effect radiation of heat on to the surface of the ware to be dried but at the same time to avoid radiation of heat on to the edge of the plaster mould. A further object is to provide a form of construction in which the maximum number of trays or shelves can be accommodated in a given length of conveyor and thereby to increase the capacity of the stove. Additional objects will be apparent from the following description and claim.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tray unit.

Figure 2 is an end view.

Figure 3 is a plan.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic transverse section showing the directions of air flow and heat radiation.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation to a reduced scale showing the tray units of Figures 1, 2, 3,

and 4 embodied in a stove.

A shelf or support for the goods to be dried is in the form of an elongated tray ID with upwardly extending side margins ll, so that the tray in cross-section is in the form of a shallow trough or channel, the side margins H being inclined or splayed outwards, see especially Figures 2 and 4.

It is preferred to build up these trays in units, eachunit comprising for example three trays as shown. The side edges of the marginal parts of each tray may be rolled over at [5 for additional strength, and may enclose rods 16. The three trays in a unit are secured together by means of a plate ll at each end carrying the boss 18 by which the unit is suspended from the conveyor l9, Figure 5. If the length of the unit makes it desirable, additional plates such as I! may be fitted at one or more intermediate points as well. The width of the trays is preferably approximately an inch more than the diameter of-the largest moulds likely to be used, and the distance between adjacent trays of the unit is governed by the height of the moulds.

The underside of each shelf acts as a deflector or radiating surface. Referring now more par- 'ticularly to Figure 4, it will be apparent that as the trays are carried through the stove by means of the conveyor, currents of warm air in the stove will necessarily pass more or less horizontally between the shelves I 0 as indicated by the arrows C. Heretofore such air currents have impinged directly on the edges of the plaster moulds. Any excessive heating of the edge of the mould rapidly causes decomposition of the plaster. The raised side margins of the shelves according to this invention now act as a shield and protect the edges of the mould l3 and of the plate or the like I2 from the heat action to a considerable extent. Heat is, however. radiated from the undersides of the shelves l0 downwardly on to the surface of the piece of ware 12, as indicated by the arrows B, because the shelves will obviously become hot and considerable heat will be given off by them. They will, in fact, act as radiant elements. In this connection the raised side margins II will again act to avoid excessive heating of the side edges of the mould and piece, because the angle of radiation from the side margins II is not perpendicular to the surface of the piece l2 and mould l3, and thus the heat will be directed away from the thin edges of the mould and piece as indicated by the arrows D. In addition, the greater clearance between the underside of the portions II and the surface of the piece l2 and mould I 3 will also be of advantage in avoiding excessive heating at the edges. The side margins ll assist further in locating the moulds l3 correctly centrally along the tray. They are also of value constructionally, in that the channelled section serves to stiffen the tray, and avoids the need for a re-inforcement along the trays themselves, which would act as an obstruction to the placing of the moulds and also require clearance between the trays to be increased, which would reduce the number of trays which could be accommodated in a given length of conveyor. A longitudinal re-inforcement I4 is provided under the bottom tray only of each unit, where additional clearances would in any event be needed to allow the units to clear each other when passing round the top sprockets 20 of the conveyor I9, Figure 5. The bottom sprockets are indicated at 2|. The air circulation is created by fans 22 driven by an electric motor 23. The air is blown through a heater battery 25' and its general directions of circulation are indicated by the short arrows in Figure 5, while the di- 5;, rection of travel of the conveyor is indicated by the long arrows. The particular stove shown is one constructed in accordance with my prior American Patent No. 2,423,030 but it is to be understood that while this form of stove is preferable, the present invention is not in any way limited or restricted thereto.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a supporting assembly for clay-ware moulds for use in drying stoves having a vertically travelling conveyor therein and means to circulate warm air in the stove, a pair of spaced apart vertical plates adapted to be swingably mounted on the conveyor, a plurality of vertically spaced rectangular trays extending between and supported by the spaced plates, each tray including a flat bottom and flat longitudinal side edges inclined in an upward and outward direction relative to the fiat bottom defining a shallow trough for supporting the mould, the fiat bottom serving to deflect the heat downwardly onto the surface of the mould on the tray therebelow, the flat longitudinal side edges extending upwardly a sufficient distance to shield the edges of the clay-ware moulds on the trays from the direct efiect of the warm air and also deflect the heat away from the edges of the clayware mould on the tray therebelow;

JOHN ARTHUR JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,157,658 Mashek Oct. 9, 1915 1,441,091 Howson Jan. 2, 1923 1,618,913 Buckley Feb. 22, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 372,511 Great Britain May 12, 1932 

